Wednesday, December 30, 2009

In Season One of Supernatural, even though Jared Padalecki started out with top billing, and the story was purportedly about Sam, both Sam and Dean really had pretty equal screen time. They were almost always together until "Scarecrow," when they split for the first time. Even then, we saw them the same amount. "The Benders" gave us a little more Dean—logical, with Sam locked in a cage...*pauses to remember Sam in a cage*

Where was I? Oh, yeah. Fairly even screen time, alternating focus on the two main characters, like "Something Wicked" was redemption for wee!Dean, then Sam got some action in "Provenance".

Season Two launched the same way and stayed fairly even until "No Exit," when we got very little Sam. Of course, that's because of that foron playful Padalecki requiring surgery on his broken hand, so not exactly story-driven. And I thought "The Usual Suspects" made up for it, demonstrating how the boys play off each other, practically sharing a brain, even though they weren't together. (I know MJ doesn't agree—no need to say so, MJ! LOL)

The brothers started to separate in season 2, with Sam going off on his own all the time ("Hunted," "Born Under a Bad Sign") and the boys realizing some of their fundamental differences ("Houses of the Holy"). But still...equal screen time.

Perhaps season 3 broke the Js. They were consistently together throughout the season, united in a common goal, sharing the camera. Interviews and articles talked about how the two main actors had such a demanding job, being in nearly every scene. They tried to bring in some new recurring characters to share the load, with mixed/debatable results.

Then came season 4, and an unprecedented event.

Jared got to go to Hawaii.

In the amazing episode "In the Beginning," Castiel sends Dean to the past. Sam is only seen in the opening shots, going off with Ruby to do something we know he shouldn't be doing. Then Jensen Ackles knocks it out of the park as Dean trying to save his family from events that can't be changed.

So wouldn't it have been fair for Jensen to get a vacation while we get an episode that focuses on Sam? If the goal was to give the guys a break so they didn't, you know, break, then we'd expect an even distribution of episodes or scenes focused on one character. Flashbacks in "After School Special" helped, and we saw a little bit more of Sam, but not enough to send Jensen out of Canada during filming (or at least not further than LA).

Season five, then, right? It's all about Lucifer wanting Sam's body. So we must get an episode with mostly Sam. Poor Jensen needs time off that doesn't mean hiatus for us! But even though the boys break up and go their separate ways, even though we see lots of Sam in "Free to Be You and Me"...*pauses to think of lots of Sam...in bed...shirtless...*

Don't worry. I remember where I left off. And I DO have a point, I promise! (I can't help rambling a little as I work my way up to it. It's such delicious territory in which to ramble.)

Arguably the best episode of the first half of season 5 is 5.04, "The End," where Zachariah sends Dean forward in time in an attempt to convince him the only way is to say yes to being Michael's vessel. And not only is there very little Sam in that episode, we get DOUBLE Dean.

I think this episode explains exactly why Dean gets all these solo turns.

Even though Jared Padalecki is a good actor and has made huge strides since his earnest Gilmore Girls days, he still drops back into the flared-nostril school of acting from time to time. I'm going to toss out a highly unscientific stat and say that in roughly 50% of his scenes, he still strikes me as putting on the character.

In contract, I almost never feel that way about Jensen. I always feel that he has fully embodied Dean, that the character is being projected from inside himself. Sure, he hardens/deepens his voice a little, but that's an element of character, not a mask or prop. In "The End," we not only saw Dean confront himself, he was two totally different people. The same guy, but tempered by different experiences, living different lives, making different decisions. And I never, ever confused the two. It wasn't just that Future!Dean wore the Army green of war while Present!Dean got to wear hopeful blue. It was the look on his face, the way he held himself, the way he spoke. Technology made it seem like they were in the same room, interacting with each other, but acting made us believe it.

So bottom line...here's how I see it. I don't think the writers deliberately choose to showcase Dean because Jensen is a better actor. But I do think Jensen being a better actor gives the writers freedom to showcase him.

What do you think? Agree, disagree, think I'm off my nut? Do you have a different theory? Post in the comments! Help us get through the homestretch to the return of season 5!

So is Kripke ahead of his time here? Is it serendipity? There do seem to be a number of apocalyptic movies out now—2012, The Book of Eli, The Road and now Legion.

I still wonder how much Kripke knew about this season when he started. I imagine he knew it would be brother v. brother, that he knew it would be apocalyptic. I know he didn't expect to go with angels. Will this movie boost Supernatural, or will the reverse happen? I know I want to see it. (Adrienne Palicki--yay!)

Thursday, December 17, 2009

I had lunch yesterday with the friends I’m attending the New Jersey Salute to Supernatural convention with in July. I’d like to say we’re beyond excited, but at this point we’re just apprehensive. I mean, I love AJ Buckley and Travis Wester, and look forward to seeing them, but I wouldn’t spend $369 plus travel and hotel to see them. The con is a long way away, and at this point last year, for the con in March, they didn’t have many more guests booked. But they did have Jared Padalecki. So we’re kind of resigned to not having either of the two biggies at the con. They’re booked for LA in March and Vancouver in August, so…our hopes aren’t high. Which sucks. But we made the decision to go for it anyway—there’s always hope, right? So we were discussing who we’d want to attend.

The Big Obvious

The ones we agreed we want most are:

1. Jason Manns

2. Misha Collins

3. Jim Beaver

Forget Steve Carlson and Christian Kane. Actually, I’m okay with Christian Kane, but only as a consolation prize. It’s got to be Jason. And I don’t like country music. So.

Misha’s awesome on stage, and I imagine he’ll be even better, now that he has a couple of conventions under his belt. And Jim Beaver knows exactly how to handle us fans.

Second Tier

These guys are almost as obvious:

1. Richard Speight Jr.

Besides being just a super-nice guy, very smart, and very funny, he has an expanded role this season. I think both he and we would enjoy having new topics for questions.

No party is complete without Lucifer, right? (said firmly tongue in cheek—calm down, P. Diddy)

Any of the rest

I’d love Gabe Tigerman (Andy) and Chad Lindberg (Ash) again. Besides the fact that redacted spoiler,which would make Chad even more interesting, Gabe is RSJ part B. Sweet and fun and super-nice guy.

Any of the women of the show would be cool. Other cons have put Tracy Dinwiddie (Pam), Alona Tal (Jo), and Julie McNiven (Anna) on stage, to good report. Samantha Smith (Mary) and Samantha Ferris (Ellen) would be even better.

How about Jake Abel (Adam), Malik Whitfield (Henricksen), or Steven Williams (Rufus)? Of the three, I’d ask for Williams. He seems like he’s got lots of tales to tell. :)

So, to Recap…

My letter to Santa begs him to line up Jared and Jensen. Barring that, I want as many actors as they can get, plus Jason Manns. But what about you? What’s your dream convention line-up? :)

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

We're coming up on not only the end of another year, but another decade, so naturally everyone and their brother's magazine are releasing all kinds of lists and superlatives--influential people, biggest catastrophes, best dressed, sexiest man alive... (Look, I loved Captain Jack, but I've seen the cover of People, and no way is that photo sexier than Dean Winchester.) And as you probably already know BuddyTv.com compiled their top 50 television episodes of 2009, which featured both Changing Channels and Monster At The End of This Book --which both rocked, not only because they were hilarious but because they weren't just throwaway funny, they furthered the story in big ways.

It's not uncommon for us to do lists here at SPN Sisters. In just November, MJ listed her fave and not-so-fave eps and I'm pretty sure that in our archives there's a list of great Impala moments. So I wanted to share a few slightly more obscure lists and superlatives. (These are, of course, strictly my opinion. Feel free to agree, disagree, and share your own in comments!!!)

Horror, violence, and the occasional sex--Supernatural is definitely not children's television! And yet, from that early scene in the pilot when young Dean has to carry baby sam out of the burning house, kids have always had an impact on the show. Best child actors on Supernatural (in no particular order):

2. Margot Berner-- The girl who played Katie on the same episode, however, was chilling enough to make me nervous around my own daughter the next day. (Hey, I'm not proud of that, I'm just sayin'.)

3. Sierra McCormick-- Of course, the creepiest child they've ever had on the show, IMO, is this adorable little blond girl who was possessed by Lilith in the season 3 finale "No Rest For the Wicked." YIKES.

4. Ridge Canipe-- First seen in the flashbacks of Season 1's "Something Wicked," this younger version of Dean portrays his emotional conflicts about his dad and brother just as compellingly as the adult Dean we all know and love!

5. Gattlin Griffith-- This season's "Jesse Turner" and the potential lynchpin for the apocalypse, this kid was utterly believable, a little eerie, and a lot heart-wreching. I hope they bring him back for more episodes!!!

But of course, it's not only the under-eighteen guest stars who shine on the show. Here are my five favorite (old enough to vote) guest stars:

1. Richard Speight Jr (Trickster/Gabriel)

2. Mitch Pileggi (Samuel Campbell, aka Dean and Sam's grandfather!)

3. Charles Malik Whitfield (Agent Henricksen) This determined FBI agent truly thought his was the side of justice when he pursued "dangerous fugitives" Sam and Dean, finally catching them in Jus In Bello, where he learns the truth and sets up the best line in the whole episode when he stammers, "I shot the sherrif."

4. Samantha Ferris (Ellen Harvelle) While we didn't see her as much as the boys' awesome father figure recurring character Bobby Singer, this tough but caring maternal character was a great addition to every episode she was in!

5. Lauren Cohan (Bela Talbot; Hey, it's my list, I can include her if I want to!)

Clearly the producers have no trouble getting great guest stars! But we fans can't help hoping that some other actors we enjoy land on the show. Here are the five people I'd most love to see pop up in a well-written role:

1. Alan Tudyk- This guy can be either terrifying or hilarious, both areas in which SPN excels and I love seeing him on TV! (Which is looking less likely since his guest character was killed off on ABC and the show in which he had a guest character was cancelled on FOX.)

While it's no secret that I am a weenie and Supernatural IS part horror-flick, every once in a while, the gore just seems a bit more nauseating than it had to be. I give you my top 5 Dude, was that really necessary? episodes:

1. Skin

2. On the Head of a Pin (the violence and blood was definitely plot-related, but this one was seriously difficult for me to watch)

3. Wendigo (to be fair, I'm guessing on this one--my eyes were covered for a lot of it)

4. Time Is On My Side

5. No Rest For the Wicked

It would have been nice to list my favorite Sam and Dean moments, but I'm not sure I could narrow that down to the top fifty! What are a few of yours?

Friday, December 11, 2009

Eric Kripke himself said the Impala looks really cool but “handles like a shopping cart.” Nevertheless, I have wanted one since…well, since Croatoan.

8) Finding one in any decent shape is near impossible. She's over 40, you know, and if the outside's good, the inside probably isn't. The ones I've found in my price range have ratty interiors or rust spots on the undercarriage.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

It's the holiday season, and I still have presents to wrap, a Christmas letter to write, cards to send...well, you get the idea. I have all those things to do that those crazy Winchesters aren't encumbered by. (Insert frowny sad face here.) So in the (funny) spirit of the season, here are some fun Supernatural-related Christmas vids for you to enjoy. Hey, if it's cold, dark and dreary where you are like it is here, maybe these will even help lift your mood.

First up, from the Ghostfacers...

Then we have the classic scene of Sam and Dean attempting to be carolers...

This video isn't Christmas related, but it's one I stumbled across while playing on YouTube. So, think of it as my Christmas gift to you.

Here is a short vid interview with Jensen Ackles. It looks like it’s old, from nearly a year ago, but who cares? It’s Jensen on film, and we can pretend it’s recent and he’s talking about season six. :)

Friday, December 4, 2009

Look, I gotta be honest. I don't know if I believe in you. These days, I don't know what I believe in. God? The greater good? I for damn sure don't plan to listen to any angels on high. No offense, but they pretty much suck. Except for Cass. And I guess I have a few decent memories of Anna. But, hell, even if you do exist, for all I know, you're some Anti-Claus who's up at the North Pole sacrificing Comet and Blitzen and Sneezy and Sleepy in dark rituals.

That said, when Sam was a kid, he believed that Christmas was a time of miracles and all that feel-good "It's a Wonderful Life" crap. Truth is, we could use a miracle. Now, I realize there's no way I made the nice list. I'm violent and I swear too much (although, technically, does douchebag really count as profanity?) But I figure sucking up my pride and asking you for help beats the hell out of trying to make deals with demons--that never ends well.

Since we're on the road too much to hang stockings, you can just toss the presents in the back of the Impala. This Christmas, please bring us some kind of weapon that actually freaking works on Lucifer, since the Colt was a bust. We'd like to kill the son of a bitch once and for--er, we'd like to help with that whole peace on earth thing. Also, a twelve pack for me and Sam, some new shocks for my baby and the collector's holiday edition of Busty Asian Beautys would be appreciated.